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Clark Vs Obasanjo: Ex-President Attacked Over Comment On N’Delta

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has been lampooned for his response to a letter by a Niger Delta leader, Edwin Clark.

In a rejoinder on Tuesday, Obasanjo declared that the oil within the region belongs to the entire people of Nigeria.

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On Wednesday, a South-South coalition said from paragraphs 4 to 12 of his reply, Obasanjo emphasized the constitutionality of “the forceful expropriation of Niger Delta”.

The Niger Delta Congress (NDC) chided the ex-Head of State for failing to see the absurdity in centring his arguments on legalities “conceived by members of the larger ethnic nationalities which Obasanjo belongs”.

A statement by the spokesman, Ovunda Eni, noted that in paragraph 13, Obasanjo, not only admitted Niger Delta resources was eyed by both sides during the civil war, he asked the people to be appreciative because the situation would have worsened if the Biafran side won.

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Eni, a lawyer, thanked the retired General for the “revelations” which he said aren’t new to the region.

It important for the Niger Delta people to take note that its territory and people are seen as war booty won and/or lost. This thinking continues to influence the relationship between the Niger Delta and the larger nationalities; not neighbours, not brothers, not comrades, not friends, but war booty.

“In paragraph 18, the former President made it known that he has been a champion of equity and fairness in Nigeria. And in his bid to ensure this equity, he believes that it is necessary to “suppress” ethnic nationalities, or “tribes” in his own words, so the state can emerge.

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“What he failed to reveal is that suppressing “tribes” in a state is in reality nothing more than an attempt to create a state where smaller nationalities are silenced, or annihilated so their lands and resources are annexed and controlled by the larger ethnic nations who also make up the state.

“We have seen the ruthlessness with which this suppression as a strategy has been applied, most importantly with the genocide in Odi which left over 10% of the population dead in 1999; a genocide perpetrated by Nigerian troops when President Obasanjo himself was the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.

“President Obasanjo stating that he would continue to push for the suppression of “tribes” in the Nigerian state until he “breathes” his “last”, is Obasanjo pledging allegiance to a genocidal ideology. Such audacity can only come when a man has successfully carried out a massacre.

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READ ALSO: Chieftaincy: ‘How My father, I Were Arrested, Charged For Murder’ – Wike

“This does not only show the failure of the Nigerian state he swears by, but also shows the complicity of the international community he hobnobs with and whose interests in the Niger Delta he has served. This also shows the failure of the Niger Delta leadership to stand by and for our people.

“In subsequent paragraphs, the former President went back in time to cite colonialism and its legal constructs in different ways to derive legitimacy for the injustice that has been the relationship between the Niger Delta and what is currently known as Nigeria right from as early as the colonial era.

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“As interesting as this attempt to gaslight the Niger Delta is, what is poignant for the NDC is the subtlety in insinuating that what we currently have operable in Nigeria is an extension of colonialism with the larger groups as the new colonial masters. We choose to not be colonised by any group.

“Most important to the NDC are paragraphs 20 and 21 wherein Obasanjo revealed moves he and some other collaborators from within and outside the Niger Delta are making to once again shortchange the people as has been done within the Nigerian context since 1960, and which he has played an integral part of from the civil war till date.”

Eni said the former leader spelt out the work being done by the Committee for Goodness of Nigeria (CNG) – which he is a part – where Niger Delta representatives are proposing an 18% derivation in CNG recommendations “to those who can take action” ahead of a new constitution before the 2023 elections.

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NDC condemned the “insulting” proposition, insisting that agitations have revolved around economic and political autonomy (resource control), contained in the different declarations and charters that have emanated since the 1965 Rumuomasi declaration.

The body recalled that at the South-South Hearing on 1999 Constitution review in Port Harcourt on 27th May 2021, the NDC presented recommendations to the Senate Committee led by Senator Betty Apiafi where 50% resource control or derivation was demanded.

The statement reminded the public that the NDC has been collating signatures of ethnic nationalities’ representatives for the Niger Delta Peoples Charter which asserts the right of the region to control their resources and determine their socio-political future.

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Eni vowed that the people will resist any move to foist any constitution that does not take cognizance of the demands of the people as captured in the charter adopted on 8th October 2021 at the Niger Delta Peoples Conference in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa.

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Medical Plane Crash Kills Six In Kenya

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A medical light aircraft crashed into a small residential block near the Kenyan capital Nairobi, killing at least six people and injuring two seriously, a local official said Thursday.

The plane took off from Nairobi’s Wilson airport at 2:17 pm local time (1100 GMT) and was en route to Somaliland when it came down in Ruiru, Kiambu County, shortly after 3:00 pm (1200 GMT).

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READ ALSO:FULL LIST: Ghana Releases Identities Of Helicopter Crash Victims

We have lost four people, including the pilot… it was all fatal,” said Kiambu County commissioner Henry Wafula, adding that two people were killed on the ground. He said another two had been “seriously injured”.

AFP

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FULL LIST: Ghana Releases Identities Of Helicopter Crash Victims

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The Ghanaian Government has released the names of individuals who died in Wednesday morning’s military helicopter crash.

The crash involved a Z-9 helicopter belonging to the Ghana Armed Forces, which lost contact during a flight from Accra, the capital, to Obuasi, a gold-mining town in the south, where the crew headed for an official engagement.

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In a post via its official X handle on Wednesday, the Ghana Armed Forces said the victims comprise eight people.

The names and portfolios of the victims are listed below:

READ ALSO:Ghana Defence, Environment Ministers Killed In Helicopter Crash

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1. Edward Omane Boamah – Minister for Defence

2. ⁠Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed – Minister for Environment, Science and Technology

3. Muniru Mohammed – Acting deputy, National Security Coordinator and former Minister for Food and Agriculture

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4. Samuel Sarpong – Vice- Chairman, National Democratic Congress

5. ⁠Samuel Aboagye – Former parliamentary candidate

READ ALSO:Human Trafficking: Police Rescue 40 Ghanaians, Arrest Three In Ondo

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6. Peter Baafemi Anala – ⁠Squadron leader

7. ⁠Manaen Twum Ampadu – Flying officer

8. ⁠Ernest Addo – Sergeant

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Following the sad development, Ghanaian President John Mahama described the incident as a national tragedy and suspended activities upon receiving the news.

He also directed that flags fly at half-mast to honour the memory of the victims.

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Bodies Of Helicopter Crash Victims Arrive In Accra

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The Ghana Armed Forces on Wednesday confirmed the arrival in Accra of the remains of the victims of the Z-9 military helicopter crash, which claimed the lives of eight personnel.

It stated that the victims’ bodies were transported from the crash site aboard a Ghana Air Force Casa aircraft and received at the Air Force Base in Accra on August 6, 2025.

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According to a statement issued by the Acting Director General, Public Relations, Ghana Navy, Captain Veronica Arhin, government officials, military personnel, and sympathisers led by the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Julius Debrah, were present to receive the bodies.

READ ALSO:Ghana Defence, Environment Ministers Killed In Helicopter Crash

The statement said the remains have since been deposited at the 37 Military Hospital for preservation and preparations for burial.

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It noted that all eight bodies were recovered from the crash site located in the Sikaman area, near Adansi Akrofuom in Ghana’s Ashanti Region.

The Ghana Armed Forces extended its appreciation to the people of Sikaman and the security services for their support during the recovery operations.

READ ALSO:Human Trafficking: Police Rescue 40 Ghanaians, Arrest Three In Ondo

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The Deputy Minister for Defence, Hon. Brogya Genfi, and the Military High Command extend their deepest condolences to the families in this difficult national tragedy,” the statement added.

The crash involved a Z-9 helicopter belonging to the Ghana Armed Forces, which lost contact during a flight from Accra, the capital, to Obuasi, a gold-mining town in the south, where the crew headed for an official engagement.

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